Spotlight on Hollywood Fringe Interns

The Hollywood Fringe Festival couldn’t operate without the help of a team of volunteers and interns. This year, we have five stellar interns: Bex (FringeTV Production Intern), Caroline (FringeTV Editor Intern), Grace (Fringe Central Production Intern), Irina (Communications Intern) and Jamie (Volunteer Intern). We asked them all a little about their experiences in the questionnaire below.

Who are you and where did you come from?

BEX: One time someone asked me what I wanted to be when I grow up and I said an airport. I have not been invited back to their house.

CAROLINE: My name is Caroline Michaels and I am from Charlottesville, Virginia and I go to University in St Andrews, Scotland.

IRINA: I’m an avid TV viewer and movie goer, originally from the San Fernando Valley. I like to think of myself as a very happy person but my choice of super sad music begs to differ. Did I mention how much I love my Netflix? Because I do.

GRACE: I’m Grace Wang, and I’m a Junior at USC studying theater design with a minor in architecture.

JAMIE: I’m Jamie and I’m the Volunteer Intern and I come from HERE. (Los Angeles) (But I live in Waltham, Massachusetts 8 months out of the year for school now, which is kind of trippy.)

What were you expecting of this internship?

BEX: I expected to script supervise and run sound and observe. Lots of observing. And I was hoping to have fun! Because that’s an important aspect of life.

CAROLINE: I was expecting to meet a lot of people who were passionate about the arts and super fun to work with.

IRINA: I honestly did not know what to expect because this was the first time I had ever been involved with the theater community.

GRACE: I expected the internship to be very hands on and I thought it would be very similar to the PA jobs I have done for film and theater productions before.

JAMIE: I was expecting to learn the ins and outs and daily whosits and whatsits of an open arts festival while helping out a bunch of crazy theatre people.

What is it really?

BEX: AMAZING. In all caps. That’s what it is. I get to do so many things. Silly past me, thinking you wouldn’t be a part of the action. Get your act together past self. You’re gonna work.

CAROLINE: I’d say my expectations were pretty accurate!

IRINA: Well since you asked again, I did expect there to be more fireworks. What’s up with that?

GRACE: This internship indeed provides me a very hands-on opportunity to beautify/decorate the space for each event. I have formed close relationship with my coordinator Zay Weaver and have learned how to construct space with a very small budget. I really appreciate the fact that Zay lets me make many design decisions, which makes me feel more like a staff member, not simply an intern.

JAMIE: Everything. It’s a crazy good time with a bunch of wonderfully insane theatre people who care about their work and the space they are creating for theatre in Hollywood against the widely held belief that it’s “not a theatre city.” It’s getting to see 4 shows in one day and talking about the Fringe as part of Street Team in between to spread the news about the festival. It’s learning from people who are dedicated to the arts and passionate about this huge endeavor. It’s talking to artists and hearing about their processes in creating their productions. It’s working with volunteers who care about local theatre and offer their own time to give back to the community. It is being part of a supportive family that wants everyone to succeed. (blah blah blah cheese cheese cheese)

What surprised you about this internship?

BEX: Fringe makes Hollywood this little village. The community is so close to each other that no matter where you are, you’ll find someone else who just — gets it.

CAROLINE: I was surprised how many people it takes to put on an event like this and how much they work around the clock to put it all together.

IRINA: I was really surprised by how much I actually enjoyed myself. It was great to see firsthand how dedicated Fringers are to their work and their craft. They all genuinely enjoy what they do and it’s something I hope I can have someday.

GRACE: I was surprised at the relatively small leadership group in comparison to its scale and impact, and I’m the only intern under Zay. However, it is really cool because I get to be very involved with Fringe everyday.

JAMIE: Irn Bru is in the United States?!(What didn’t surprise me was that it was as awful as I thought it would be)

What’s been your favorite moment of Fringe so far?

BEX: My favorite moment? Are parents expected to pick their favorite child? (Edit that: are a large majority of parents able to admit they have a favorite child?) Everyday brings a new favorite moment. But I can say that being forced to try IronBru was not one of them. Screw that child.

CAROLINE: It would have to be filming our intern sketch where my character was conveniently described as “awkward.”

IRINA: My favorite moment so far was hanging out in Bryan’s bar during the live band karaoke at Fringe Rocks. It was so fun watching folks showcase their talent.

GRACE: Dressing up as a freak. Although it is by no means related to my internship or career path, it is super fun to interact with other people and dance around since no one would recognize you!

JAMIE: Watching Fringe staffers and participants kill it in live band karaoke at Fringe rocks. Absolutely.

Be honest—should we call this a “Fringeternship”?

BEX: I would expect nothing less. Also please call this an “internview.”

CAROLINE: Yes totally because its clever and awesome.

IRINA: YES. I’m always a fan of a good portmanteau. Fringeship is also another favorite.

GRACE: No, I don’t get the wordplay…Fringe+internship=Fringeternship? I like Fringeship better.

JAMIE: Well…

What’s your legacy 100 years from now?

BEX: I will become the overlord and rewrite history. I created Nutella. I also wrote Hamlet.

CAROLINE: Hopefully that I was a really fun gal. I’m going to leave my grandchildren a treasure hunt which spans all of North America. I’ve just decided that while filling out this questionnaire.

IRINA: My children’s children and the traditions and values they learn from me.

GRACE: Influencing people’s lives through my designs in theatre, film or TV production (hopefully).

JAMIE: Everyone will put the Eat This chips on their sandwiches and the world will live in harmony.

Any advice for next year’s interns?

BEX: Wilcox has good parking. Work on your dance moves.

CAROLINE: Be prepared to work hard!

IRINA: Keep an open mind and throw yourself into everything that you do. Don’t limit yourself to just your tasks and immerse yourself in the Fringe Festival. It’s definitely worth it.

GRACE: Clear your schedule for the entire duration of the festival, so you can get a full experience, not only in the area you are good at, but other areas that you have never worked on. Extra help is always appreciated at Fringe. On top of that, find time to see the amazing shows!

JAMIE: See as many shows as you can, be uncomfortable and talk to as many people as you can, listen, learn, and eat popcorn!